


The flat, the owner and the thing

by nothing_much



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, robron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-12-15 18:30:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11811786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothing_much/pseuds/nothing_much
Summary: A shared flat,





	1. Introduction

Uni. He’d always just thought it would be a dream in the back of his head. Mind. A couple of years ago. Not that long since He’d thought the same about friends. Now he had both. He lived in a flat, Vic’s brothers, together with his two best friends. The aforementioned Vic, his best friend Adam and their friend Finn. 

It was a big flat owned by Vic’s brother and his girlfriend, both who attended Uni, and both who was away doing internships this semester, in another part of the country. They’d both been away the whole semester they’d lived here. They hadn’t met. Aaron wasn’t even sure of their names. Well, Vic’s brother of course, she never shut up about the wonderful Robert.But he never caught on his girlfriends name. Maybe just because he wasn’t interested. 

Robert was obviously as straight as Adam. And he himself was as gay as Finn. Not that they were a couple or anything. Just friends - as the two only gay kids in the small village they came from. Adam was straight and had a crush big as life on Vic, who seemed to like him back, but they weren’t an item or dating. Just cautiously walking around each other, looking and being attentive. 

Anyway. This mornings news, as the semester reached the winter holls Robert and unnamed girlfriend was moving back in. While the other went home to spend Christmas, Robert and girlfriend would stay in the flat. Aaron frowned at the idea. He had to ask someone about the name of “present girlfriend”. According to Robert’s reputation she wouldn’t be for long. He packed the last of his stuff. They would leave after the last class. Adam had a car and they’d go together. He was considering locking the door, but changed his mind. He didn’t have any secrets or embarrassing stuff in here. A couple of photos and the room was tidy enough. He left it and went to the door where he met Adam. They attended most of the same classes together.

Adam and Aaron decided to go back to the flat a couple of days before Vic and Finn. They wanted to spend a couple of nights in the bars and pubs at Uni. As they opened the door to the flat they heard raised voices. Since none of them wanted to listen to, or interrupt the argument they just dropped their bags inside the flat, and left.

They made it back in the early hours of the morning and tried to be as quiet as possible as they stumbled on their bags and made it towards their rooms. A soft snore from the couch made them aware of somebody asleep in the living room area. Their eyes met in a smirk. 

Making himself ready for the night Aaron sneaked out of his room and into the bathroom. He really needed to brush his teeth and wash his face. The snoring from the couch made him curious and after he’d finished he walked quietly towards the couch to sneak a look at the man laid there. He was gorgeous. Tall, his feet didn’t fit in the couch, looks to die for and a blueish green colour in his eyes. Aaron suddenly realised that the man was staring back at him with a curious look in his face. Caught staring he took a step back, turned around and went into his room. When he settled down in his bed, he had trouble sleeping with thoughts full of those beautiful eyes. He dozed off for a couple of hours, before his room, and bed was invaded by a hungover, talkative Adam. Annoyed he tried to go back to sleep, but wasn’t allowed. Adam’s chit chat hurt his head so he got up and headed to the kitchen for some paracetamol. He passed the couch now empty, and remembered those eyes again, and immediately tried to suppress them. The guy was hot, straight and in a relationship which meant off limits. 

They had plans for the evening Adam and him, he decided to suggest they’d go to a gay bar instead, so that maybe he could pull and get those eyes out of his mind. He took the pills and drank some water before brought the glass back to his room and the occupied bed. He told Adam about wanting to change their plans and they agreed to it. Adam was a great friend who didn’t feel insecure or awkward in those kind of bars. He entertained and got entertained, flirted without making any promises or ever pulling. 

They laid in bed for a while before they decided to go for some greasy takeout.   
*  
When they came back Robert was sitting on the couch again. They sat down in the kitchen as they ate their pizzas. They tried to make plans for the night, well into it - deciding on a bar, Robert entered. He seemed to have listened in. He asked if he could join them. Adam looked at him in surprise and told him they were going to a gay bar. Robert shrugged and looked at them, “they serve straight people to?” he said. They nodded and so they were three. 

Aaron remembered those eyes as he stood in front of the mirror. He decided that he wouldn’t change his clothes - again. Adam looked at him and smiled “on the pull then?!” he asked. Aaron smirked and answered with a short “Obvious?”. 

They made it to the living room where Robert waited for them He wore a grey thin knitted shirt, jeans and a leather jacket. Aaron tried to concentrate on something else than the older man’s torso and looked at Adam and raised his eyebrows . Adam motioned for them to move and they left for the bar. It was close enough to walk. There wasn’t much conversation ‘til they got there. Aaron brought the first round. When he looked around the bar he saw a couple of interesting faces. He made his way back to the table and as usual Adam was a laugh and conversation starter. Robert was easy going and they soon discovered he was witty, sharp, sarcastic, arrogant, and fun to be around. 

They enjoyed themselves and when the bar closed they supported each other on the way back. they sat in the livingroom area talking for a couple of hours. Suddenly Robert’s girlfriend showed in the doorway to their room. She looked mad. Robert frowned at her, but didn’t say anything and she moved back in and closed the door behind her. Aaron reminded himself to ask for her name in the morning. Adam laughed and looked at Robert “couch again?” Robert shrugged and went into the kitchen, he came back with a bottle of Tequila. They laughed at him as he started to pour them shots.  
*  
Aaron woke up with a splitting headache the second morning in a row. At least he seemed to have pulled this time. His body felt relaxed even though he felt a little nauseous. He tried to remember what happened, but drew a blank. He had no idea. He didn’t remember bringing anyone home with him, and he thought he remembered the walk home. The man behind him started to wake up. He felt the breath in his neck change and the hands on his body started to roam. It felt good and Aaron relaxed into the feeling. He smiled and looked down at the hands touching him. He kind of recognised them. The face nuzzling his neck started to kiss. He leaned back. It felt kind of nice. He fell asleep again. 

The next time he woke up, he was alone. He thought about the night before, and realised it must have been Robert who slept in his bed. He could kind of remember his girlfriend looking at him, and Adam teasing him about the couch. But he couldn’t think of why he would, sleep in his bed. And why did it feel like he had sex the night before? Robert had been touching him when he woke up before, but that had surely just been in his sleep? Aaron felt a little insecure about what to do now, and how this would affect him in the future. How would Robert react, and more important, act around him now.  
*  
Suddenly he heard a bang on the door, and Adam was there. He did the same as the day before, went up, into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and a paracetamol. He took the pill and glanced over at the couch, where now Robert seemed to be sleeping. He hoped he was sleeping, and not just trying to avoid him. He went back into the room and slid down beside Adam who had turned the telly on, and laid back watching. He had brought a bag of crisps and some sodas. Aaron looked at him, smirked, and gathered himself to ask Adam about last night. But Adam beat him too it “Mate, what happened last night, I don’t even remember how I got home!”. Aaron shrugged and answered “I remember us getting home, and I remember Robert being shut out of his room, so he got the Tequila!” Adam laughed. “Oh, that’s it” Well, let’s stay here ‘til the hangover gives in, eat this and go for fish dinners later.

It wasn’t long before they heard noises from outside the door. The girlfriend slammed the door, and they heard her go into the bathroom to run a bath. Aaron remembered his question and asked Adam about her name. “Christine I think, Vic calls her Chrissie”. 

Aaron closed his eyes. He wondered what had happened the night before.


	2. Clues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's going on?

Aaron felt awkward when he left his room. He didn’t remember anything about the night except waking up and being held. He wondered what had happened, and why. He took a shower and tried to force his brain to remember, but nothing came. After the shower he brushed his teeth put a a t-shirt on and went back into the kitchen. A Paracetamol and some water was placed beside the kitchen sink, he took it and turned to Adam, who offered him a brew and they sat down. None of them remembered much from the night before.

When first Vic and then Robert entered the room, Aaron was a bit confused by Robert who went up to him and squeezed his shoulder with a hand and brushed his body against him before he went up to the counter and made himself tea. Adam looked as confused as Aaron felt. Vic didn’t look like she’d noticed anything. Adam cleared his throat and looked at the siblings. None of them reacted. He looked at Aaron and shrugged.

They drank their tea in silence and Aaron could feel the tea and pills taking effect. He felt someone sit down between him and Adam and assumed it was Vic, but as he felt a thigh pressed against his, he looked up and saw Robert sitting there. He shook his head to try to clear it. It didn’t help, but his headache got worse and he felt a little nauseous. He tried to catch Vic’s eyes, she was sitting in front of him but her attention was on something else.

He abruptly stood up and went to the kitchen sink, left his mug, picked up a soda in the fridge and stalked into his room. He put a pair of sweatpants on and went into the living room. He sat down on the couch and opened the soda. It didn’t take long for the others to join him. He looked around and wondered again where Robert’s girlfriend had got to. She had disappeared before they started drinking yesterday.

No one mentioned her, and Robert had sat himself down next to Aaron again. It felt familiar and comfortable, at the same time as it confused and made him feel a little awkward. Robert seemed very comfortable with the closeness. Vic didn’t seem to notice, and Adam looked curious. He jerked as a hand suddenly started to fondle his leg, right in front of everyone. Adam seemed to have had enough and nudged Robert. “So, what’s this?” he said and looked pointedly at the hand. Robert squeezed the leg under it and smiled. “It’s my hand” he said, before he got up, and went into the bathroom.

Adam’s eyes met Aaron’s, and they looked at each other both of them feeling quite confused. They turned to Vic, trying to understand what was going on. She shrugged and avoided their eyes. “Where is the girlfriend” Adam asked. Vic looked at him and smiled, “no more, it seems, she left to visit her parents for a couple of days, to sort her head out after what happened last night”. Adam and Aaron looked at her expectantly, “so, what happened last night” Adam finally asked.

She looked at them and shrugged, “you know more than I do, you were there”. Again, the boys eyes met. “I only know that she woke me up around 4 am, screaming her head off at Robert, something about him sneaking off to get off with someone during the night” Vic said. He was obviously back then. I have no clue where he was, or with whom, or even if.

Aaron felt the blush appearing in his face. He looked down and hoped that no one would see. Vic looked at them with a curious face, “so, none of you remember anything about yesterday, after we came home?” she asked.

Robert appeared in the doorway again, fully clothed. He heard the last part and shrugged. “I know what happened to me”, he said. They looked at him expectantly. “Does anyone want Pizza? I’m on my way, you can text me” he said and walked out the door.

They all looked at each other and Adam shook his head. They discussed hangover food, decided that greasy and cheesy could never go wrong, and Vic texted Robert what they wanted. When he came back he also brought some cans and a bottle of whiskey. They made the table in the kitchen, they hadn’t used it that much during Robert and his girlfriend’s absence, but now it seemed proper to sit there. Aaron sat between Adam and Vic with Robert opposite.

When the foot started to ascend on his leg, stroking his thigh he almost choked. What was Robert playing at? Why was he so over familiar? Had they…? Why couldn’t he remember. If they had had sex, wouldn’t he remember something? Anything? And feel. He just felt a notion that they could have had sex. There was no real evidence, at all. He looked at Robert and decided he didn’t care. Robert was good looking and he was definitely attracted to him. He decided to go with the flow and just accept things how they were for now.  
*  
Things definitely got weirder during the day. Aaron didn’t really know neither what to think, or how to act. Robert took every opportunity to touch him, smirking and catching his eyes every chance he got. Aaron felt more and more awkward and when the evening came and he found himself locked in an embrace and fiercely kissing Robert in the hallway, there and then, he just gave up. If he didn’t remember now, there was no way he was going to remember anything that could lead up to this. It was nice though. He didn’t break it, but tried to remember to ask what the h*ll was going on as soon as they’d finish kissing.

When there was a noise at the door Robert broke the kiss and went back into the living room with Adam and Vic, and Finn who had turned up. Aaron didn’t have a chance to ask, or say anything at all. Finn came to the rescue though. “So” he said, looking at Adam in answer to something Aaron hadn’t heard, “none of you remember anything from yesterday”. Adam shrugged, and they looked at Aaron who did the same. A sudden smirk appeared on Robert’s face as he grasped what that meant. Aaron saw it in his face. He wondered what Robert would do with that information, and if it would change the way he’d been acting. He thought about it, did he want him to change? It was quite nice to feel appreciated.  
The evening ended with an action movie, and they lounged around in the living room, drinking cans, eating leftover pizza with comfortable banter and chatting. As bed time came closer Aaron wondered if he hoped to sleep alone, or if he hoped to be accompanied by Robert. He didn’t really know. He certainly didn’t want to ask. He decided to not expect anything, and that he needed to head to bed early. So he left the others took a shower and went to bed. Alone. He was exhausted and fell asleep in no time.

He woke up by a creek from the door. There was no light anywhere, darkness. He heard breaths and someone paddling across the floor on bare feet. He cleared his throat, he knew who it was without asking. And he could feel the motions in the bed as Robert climbed into it. He could feel Robert snuggling up behind him, and nuzzling in his neck. He said nothing and after a while Aaron could feel himself drifting off to sleep again.

He woke up on his side, with Robert still behind him. He woke up with hands roaming his body, soft kissing in his neck and behind his ears. He felt both comfortable and aroused. He heard Robert whisper his name, so he turned on his back and immediately Robert was on top of him.

When he woke up the next time, he knew for certain he had had sex during the night. And it had been really good. He was happy to feel the body beside him, still in his bed this morning. He stretched and tried to get out of bed to head for a shower, but was pulled back in bed met with kisses and warm murmurs.


	3. Footsie

This was definitely the way every day should start. The shower was warm and relaxing. Aaron felt content and quite satisfied. He pondered on breakfast. Eggs. Eggs would be good, hopefully they had bacon for a sarnie left to. And tea. He finished and left the bathroom, wrapped in his towel. In the hallway he met Adam, and caught a glance of Robert sneaking out of his room behind his back. He told Adam to hurry to the bathroom, before someone else took the remaining hot water, winked and entered his own, now empty, room. He could still smell the remains of the night. He changed his sheets and duvets before he dressed himself and went out to the kitchen area.

Breakfast was all they wanted. Greasy and cheesy, with eggs, bacon and cheese sarnies. Tea to drink and friendly chatter between them all. With five people around the table, Aaron was a little unhappy to discover that the footsie flirting from yesterday was nowhere to be found. Robert’s eyes locked with his, a couple of times though. Finn was oblivious, Adam and Vic was trying to keep an eye on what was happening, but didn’t seem to notice.   
When breakfast was done and they started to put the dishes away, there was a noise at the door and somebody came in. They all looked around to greet Chrissie who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She looked calmer than when they’d seen her last. She looked directly at Robert and beckoned him to follow her. They left and closed the bedroom door behind them. The others looked at each other with curiosity in their faces.

There were no loud voices, no sounds at all. Adam went up to the door, and put his ear to it. Finn went and got him away from it scolding him in whispers, until they were back in the kitchen when he asked what Adam had heard. Adam told them he’d only heard muffled voices. Nothing else.   
Aaron felt a little queasy, didn’t really know what to expect. A one-night stand, or maybe two-night stand? One or maybe two nights in each other’s company, it didn’t mean anything. Did it? What would happen now? Would Chrissie (her name was Chrissie, Vic had enlightened them with it when Finn had asked) stay? Would she move back in?

It took 15 minutes before Chrissie walked out of the room, came into the kitchen and met us. She said she was sorry for the first impression she made, and that she was going to make it up to us by inviting us all to a restaurant this evening, to start anew. We all looked at each other and thanked her. She left for a while and went to get her bags. Like that, she was back in the flat living with us. Since it was Sunday, and our classes started in the morning we all spent the day preparing for that. He found himself touched by Robert on occasions, like the man couldn’t keep his hands away. Our eyes met a couple of times. But he wasn’t pounced on like yesterday. And there were no kisses. He kind of missed them. Robert was a great kisser.  
The restaurant Chrissie had chosen was 15 minutes by car, Finn had offered to be the designated driver. When they got there they all felt a bit under dressed, but it was a nice place and they were greeted by the waiters as if they fit in. The menu was decryptable, and they managed to order what they wanted, and the restaurant had beer. Bottles mind, but still, beer. 

The drinks came, and they tried to get to know Chrissie. She seemed a little up tight, but she really tried to socialize. When she started telling everybody about her family and a party they were all invited to in a couple of weeks, he could feel Roberts foot on his thigh again. It was comfortable and a bit exciting. He didn’t remove it, or himself, and just enjoyed the feeling.   
With the food, the foot disappeared, for a while. It was soon back, touching and feeling. It was quite distracting and made it difficult for Aaron to eat. The others started to notice his lack of usual enthusiasm for the food, and looked at him with questions in their eyes. He picked up his beer and took a big gulp of it, which he prominently choked on. He could see Adam knowing he done it on purpose. But the others seemed oblivious. Finn even helped him by slapping his back. Under the table, Roberts foot continued its exploration. 

After dinner and a couple of more beers, they decided to go to a club nearby. Just for a while, and some beers. Finn was ordered to keep them in line. The club was almost empty, and Aaron made a beeline for the men’s room where he went into a cubicle and just stood for a while, catching his breath. He went out of it, and decided to splash some water on his face. As he did, he heard the door open and lifted his head. In the mirror he saw the reflection of Robert.  
He looked up, and found himself embraced in a hug, he rose and turned, and was immediately pushed up against a flat surface and their lips met again. It was the same fierce kissing he’d experienced the day before. And he enjoyed it even more now, when he knew what Robert could do with his mouth, and body. He moaned softly. A voice came through the door, and just before Finn entered, they pulled apart.   
Aaron left for the table, and Robert stayed and went in a cubicle. Adam looked at him with suspicious eyes, and Vic with knowing, when he came up to the table. Chrissie didn’t look, she was engrossed in her mobile. She seemed really busy. Aaron pretended that nothing happened. He sat down and grabbed for the beer someone had bought him. 

They didn’t stay long at the club. Finn drove them home, and soon they scattered into their rooms. Robert and Chrissie locked theirs. Aaron felt a twinge in his stomach. He went to bed and fell into a restless sleep. When he finally settled down it was early hours. He suddenly woke up with a startled feeling realised it was really warm and comfortable and fell asleep again. 

When he woke up the next time it was in someone’s arms. He realised Robert must have been the reason he was feeling comfortable during the night, and he wondered when he snuck in. As he was pondering, an alarm went of, silent and buzzing. Robert removed himself slowly from the embrace and the bed. Careful not to startle Aaron. He quietly left the room without saying anything or looking back at Aaron who followed him with his eyes.  
When Robert had left Aaron considered what had happened. Why had Robert snuck in just to sleep a couple of hours in his bed? Without waking him up or draw any attention to himself. He looked at his own alarm clock, it was just before seven. He had been asleep for about 4 hours, he had fallen asleep without Robert, and woke up with him. He could at most have been there for about 3 hours. Why?

His thoughts were processing this until he fell asleep again before his alarm called at 8 am. He woke up, went to the bathroom to take his shower, it was busy. He left his stuff and went to the kitchen to make tea, and toast. It was silent, the only person up, was himself and whoever was in the shower. The water boiled and he put his teabag in the cup and the toast popped up from the toaster. He heard padded footsteps, and someone embraced him from behind. He leaned back, and enjoyed the damp warmth, and the lips that was on the nape of his neck. 

Suddenly there was a noise from Roberts room, and they detached their bodies. Aaron took his mug, and ate the rest of the toast, and started towards the bathroom, he met Chrissie in the doorway. She looked at him “don’t use al the hot water” she said. He shrugged and went into the bathroom. He leant against the door and let out an exasperated sigh. He felt like he was going crazy. 

Under the drizzle of the shower his mind went to work again. Not with questions about what Robert was doing or why, but with important questions for himself. What did he himself want, could he do this, whatever it was and so on? He thought back to the last two days and nights. The relationship between Robert and Chrissie didn’t seem like it was built on trust and love. He had heard the stories. And it was exciting, and above all, enjoyable. He really enjoyed it. The sneaking around. The surprise embraces and the sex. He liked the sex. He decided to go along, and see where it would take him.


	4. Sleeping and meeting

Uni was back on. Aaron was happy with leaving the flat, doing the lectures, the pace of it, since it helped him not to brood over the weird situation going on between him and Robert. Whenever he turned a corner, Robert was there, with soft lips and all hands. Only to disappear the moment somebody moved around in the flat. There had been no more nights, but a hand job in the kitchen and lots of snogging. Aaron didn’t initiate, but he definitely met Robert more than half way.

Camp was a relief, he knew there would be no Robert around the corner, no one pulling him into a dark corner, no surprise kisses, and no hands on him. Camp was torture, for those very same reasons. Life in the flat was exciting. The only thing bothering him was Chrissie. Who got to be in Roberts bed every night. Who was kissed, well pecked on the cheek, in public. He didn’t like her one bit, not only because he was having a thing with her boyfriend behind her back.

Chrissie seemed to be a stuck up bitch. She was always complaining about how much of a mess Aaron and Adam was. She could tolerate Finn and Vic, and she was on Robert’s case around the clock. Which was why they had not had the chance to get together again. Vic didn’t seem to like her either. Finn seemed to idealise her. But then Finn always did have bad taste, Aaron smirked to himself.

He sat down in a cafe close to the grounds where he waited for Adam to show. They had agreed on lunch there this morning. Adam had some kind of business idea he wanted to launch at Aaron. He had had one crazy idea, after another, but this time he promised it was a good one. He ordered sandwiches and coffee and sat down in a quiet corner. He saw Adam approaching and leaned back and started on the sandwich. 

This time Adam was right. It was a good business proposition he’d come up with. As this was the last semester, they had decided to go into partnership. They both preferred to work with their hands as opposed to, admin and office work. Adam suggested a scrap yard. They decided to give it a go. They had a semester to make up plans, to try to get hold of the money for it, and to start the business. Adam had suggested to ask Robert, but Aaron was hesitant. 

IF Robert agreed, would that be because it was a good business proposition, or because of him. And if something happened between them, would it reflect in the business? Aaron didn’t want to jeopardise his and Adam’s relationship over money, or over Robert. Nothing was worth that much. 

Aaron left the café to go to the lecture, and after that the library for some studying. He had found out the hard way that studying in the flat was almost impossible. If Robert didn’t fill his thoughts he filled his face with kisses and ground their bodies together. He had tried the living room, where the studying had transformed to kissing, or secret touching. He had tried to study in the kitchen, hence the hand job. He had tried to study in his room, well that worked, but he was on such a high alert, that he couldn’t concentrate on the books or notes at all. The library was at least quiet, had all facilities and no Robert to sneak up on him. It was also dead boring, and he had to make himself not think about the other man.

The lecture was interesting. He left it with some ideas for their business plan. He walked through the doors and found a nice spot in the library, he sat down beside two girls from one of his classes. His studies were soon interrupted by a gasp and a sigh from the girl beside him. She nudged her friend and pointed with her head towards a figure approaching. They ogled a man, Robert. 

Robert sat down beside Aaron, who smiled and nodded. Typical, he thought, and silently tried to persuade himself to keep on studying. The blonde man pulled up some notes, and a book, and his laptop. He started scribbling hitting the keys almost immediately. Seemed like nothing bothering him. Aaron groaned. Here he was, not able to concentrate, and Robert didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Aaron tried to focus on the book. 

He realised that no one was stroking any computer keys at the same time he realised that someone was stroking his thigh. He looked up and saw Robert ignoring him. He looked around and no one seemed to notice. He opened his legs a little to let Robert’s hand get more room to roam. He regretted it at once, because it did just that. As he caught his breath, trying hard not to moan out loud, he saw the two girls looking at him with suspicion in their eyes. He opened his own laptop, just to hide behind and tried to swat the hand away from its path up his thigh. Without much or rather any success, except for a more determined look on the face beside him.

He gave in to it, as he knew he would. He just let the hand go where it wanted to go, and leant in to it, trying not to give anything away to the girls on the other side of the table. He gave up his pretence of working, and just closed his eyes behind the screen. Trying to keep from whimpering. He opened his eyes and searched for an escape. He grabbed his things and almost ran out into the hallway. 

He went in to the restroom, and into an empty cubicle. He heard someone enter soon after. Then he heard the door lock followed by a soft laughter, he recognised. He opened the lock on the cubicle door, and left it ajar. He heard Robert walk towards the door and push it open. Moments later he was pushed up against the closed door, and Robert already trying to free him of his jeans. As soon as they were down, so was Robert, on his knees in front of him taking him first in hand, then opened his mouth one of his hands found Roberts hair, and so heaven opened. 

He found himself trying to catch his breath, before he sank down on his knees and returned the favour. It didn’t take long, and afterwards their lips met in a crushing kiss that continued until they heard a knock on the door. Robert corrected his clothes and went out of the cubicle. Aaron locked the door behind him and pulled his jeans up, and closed the fly. He was blushing inside the little room as he heard a man swearing at Robert and then he heard Robert leave. He gathered his stuff and walked out of the cubicle trying to look innocent, and returned home. He was to spent to study any more.

He met Adam outside the door. He was going out with Vic. They invited him to come along for dinner, but he declined. He went inside to find Finn and Chrissie sitting in the living room. Finn studying and Chrissie reading a magazine. Aaron went into his room. He laid back on his bed not bothering to undress, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep. When he woke, it was dark, he was warm, and felt an arm across his chest. He could hear mumbling. It was Robert. He seemed out of it. 

Aaron got up, went to the bathroom and washed up, brushed his teeth, and looked at the face staring back at him in the mirror. He nodded and went back into his bedroom. He undressed and tucked himself in under Roberts arm, and tried to dose off. The warmth and closeness soon did it, and he fell back asleep. When he woke up he was alone, and wondered if Robert being there had just been a dream, but then he smelled Roberts scent in the pillow, and pressed his nose into it, welling in the sensation. 

He heard a raised voice, Chrissie was at it again. Or rather at Robert again. She was screaming about something or another. The truth was, they’d all stopped caring. One moment Chrissie was screaming in a couple of minutes later she could be the most loving girlfriend. They never knew what’d set her off, or really what calmed her down. There were no patterns other than it was constant. And they were all used to it. Robert seemed not to be bothered by it.

This time the argument seemed to be about Roberts new habit of taking a walk during the middle of the night. Aaron tried not to listen in, but it was difficult. Robert had taken up the habit very recently it seemed, and Chrissie was not at all happy. Aaron smiled wryly to himself as he considered the fact that the walks was probably just as far as to his bed. Then he wondered how many other nights, when he hadn’t woken up, Robert had slept in his bed. He had been sleeping better lately. He blushed at the prospect of having had Robert in his bed almost every night, if you could believe Chrissie, and why not. He looked over at Robert who met his eyes. He raised his eyebrow. Said man gave him a smirk, and turned his attention back at Chrissie. 

Aaron reminded himself to ask Robert the next time he was alone with the man, how often he had snuck into his bed during the nights. If he could remember it long enough to rip his lips from the man. He turned and walked to his room, put some clothes on, and went into the kitchen to make some tea. He avoided Chrissie, who looked as she was about to snap, and maybe leave Robert again, oh, God he hoped so. He really hoped so. Both for Chrissies and his own sake.


	5. Sneaking suspicions

When he woke up the next morning he was convinced that Robert had slept in his bed, not only had he slept really good, and woke up rested, but he could see the outline of the man in his sheets. And smell the faint reminiscence of his shampoo. He lingered in bed and enjoyed the feeling. 

He felt better from the sleep. Having slept better during the last couple of weeks had maybe not made his efforts to study better, considering the reason for the better sleep, coincided with the difficulties to study. Well to concentrate on anything outside of class. But he’d excelled in class. He’d found time to study on campus. 

He had plans to go to the library to work after the lecture he was supposed to attend. He wasn’t sure it was such a good place to study anymore. Since Robert found him there once. What was to say that he wouldn’t show up today to? So, could he relax enough to study, or would he sit on the edge of the chair the whole time, waiting for Robert?

As it was he sat on the edge of the chair. Startled at every little noise. Not being able to concentrate at all. When Robert finally walked in, Aaron had almost given up the studies, and he was just sitting there looking at his blank page at the laptop screen. Robert met his gaze with a smirk. He put his stuff down on the table beside Aaron’s, and made a motion with his head for Aaron to follow him.

And Aaron did, not even hesitating. Just up and followed the man into the men’s room. Into a cubicle, and let him pounce. Just went along with it, and let himself enjoy the moment, follow their lust and just let go. And as he rubbed up against the other man, feeling soft skin under his hands, and hands on his skin. Lips parted with moans, drawn out of him by lips licking and sucking on his neck. This was some kind of heaven, his own, personal, secret heaven. 

It was over too soon. When he was outside in the library again he tried to concentrate on his studies. It didn’t go well. He saw Robert, who had sat down somewhat away from him. He hoped that it was because of the same reason, Aaron himself would have done it. That he couldn’t concentrate with the other man too near. In that case he was grateful for it. It seemed so, if you looked closely at the man, who stole as many glances of him, as he himself stole of Robert. He was smirking as their eyes met for a moment. 

When they came home, eventually, after a quick make out session in Robert’s car. They were met by all their flatmates. In retrospect, the first panic Aaron felt was uncalled for. They were all very excited about something Chrissie told them, she was beaming in the background. She wouldn’t beam if she knew. 

The party Chrissie had spoken of early on, was on in a fortnight. They were all invited. And obviously excited about it. Aaron wasn’t sure. He wanted to spend time with Robert. And he could do with a party, even if it was posh. Adam looked at him, and he shrugged, and smirked. Ok he thought, however this played out. Adam would see to it, he’d have a blast. 

They had started to meet up at the library almost every day. Aaron also woke up with the lingered smell and sense of not sleeping alone. Sometimes he had woken up in the other man’s arms, but usually, he just slept, better than ever. More relaxed, and somewhat happy. A feeling he wasn’t used to having. He knew it would eventually go away, just like Robert would. People didn’t stay with him.

A couple of days before the party, Robert was a no show at the library. When he came back to the apartment neither Robert nor Chrissie was there. Vic informed him, they had gone ahead to Chrissies family. Aaron tried not to show his disappointment as he realised that he already missed the other man. They settled for tea, and Adam and Finn joined them. They discussed the trip they’d take the next day. 

Aaron woke up in the middle of the night. Startled by something. The bed was empty, cold, he was alone. He tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn’t. He wondered how many nights he had slept alone, since this thing with Robert started. He realised he was jealous of Chrissie. Chrissie who didn’t have to hide. 

It took him a long time to settle down and go to sleep again. When he woke in the morning he felt tired and unrested. He was happy he packed the day before, and decided to try to sleep some more before they had to leave at lunchtime.   
The car ride was fun. Adam was driving, and he was his usual boisterous self and they all had a laugh. Finn and Vic were worried about clothes and they discussed how they would be perceived, and who the other guests may be. Robert had told Aaron that there would mostly be business partners of Chrissies dad, and some of the family friends. Not many younger people there. But Aaron didn’t let on. He didn’t want to share. 

When Adam stopped the car outside a big house, they all just sat back and stared for a while. It was big. Adam snickered, so now we know why Chrissie treats us like peasants he winked at them. Aaron gave him a crooked smile. They parked the car, and Aaron opened the car door. They picked up their luggage, and went towards the house, as a door opened. Robert and Chrissie came out and greeted them as a happy couple, and the hosts. Something in Aarons stomach churned. They were showed to a couple of rooms, the boys had to share, and Vic got her own room. They unpacked, and got ready for the evening.

The party had started, and Adam, Finn and Aaron stood people watching in a corner. There were not many young people there, they all seemed to be in their mid-forties and older. Finn and Vic were clearly the youngest. Aaron had noticed Robert trying to catch his eye, but he couldn’t do much more with the scrutiny he was under. It was a while before Aaron showed him a bit of mercy and went to look for a restroom.

It wasn’t even as he’d located one, before he was pressed up to a wall in a corner of a hallway. Lips on him and his back hard pressed against a wall. Suddenly he heard someone walking towards them. They just about parted when Adam showed up in their line of sight. He eyed them with suspicion and stopped beside them. Aaron had not caught his breath yet. But Robert seemed unmoved as he pointed in the direction of the restrooms, giving Aaron and now Adam a thorough description of how to get there. 

Adam didn’t say anything on the way there, and he waited patiently outside for Aaron to finish and walked him back. All the while glancing at Aaron. It didn’t take long before Aaron was squirming. He wondered what Adam had seen, or heard. Why he kept looking at him. Adam didn’t say anything. But Aaron could feel his eyes on him during the entire evening, which meant that it wasn’t possible for him to sneak away for even a short rendez-vous with Robert. Aaron saw that Robert had made the same conclusion.

As he’d realised he wouldn’t be able to sneak away during the evening, not during the party, and not when they were in their room. He also knew Robert couldn’t or rather wouldn’t risk sleeping in his bed. It was a large double in their room that Finn and Adam shared, the spare bed that was also put in there, was for Aaron. 

Aaron decided to make the best out of a bad situation and tried to have fun with the others. He could feel Adam glancing and plain staring at him from time to time. They had fun, ate and drank a lot. Chrissie stayed away from them, thus so did Robert. They seemed joined at the hip. Where one was, so was the other. They put up a united front. Aaron felt a bit resentful, he wanted Robert for himself. But what he wanted, he knew he wouldn’t get.

In the small hours of the night, they went to their rooms. Aaron wasn’t in the best mood as he laid down and prepared for another sleepless night. Before he had the chance to doze of, he heard a tap on the door. It was barely noticeable. He looked at the other two. They seemed to be sleeping, so he sneaked up, put a pair of joggers and sneaked out of the door. 

Again, his back was up against the wall, before he could blink an eye. A fast kiss, and then he was pulled by his hands towards a door left ajar. He was pulled in, and pushed down on a soft bed. A mouth on his, and hands pulling on his clothes, he tried to help. It didn’t take long before he was totally nude. Then they started on Roberts clothes. Before long they were at each other touching, feeling, kissing, pulling and pushing. They tried to be quiet about it. But Aaron couldn’t get enough of Robert, the grunts, and the moans didn’t seem to be stoppable.

They heard someone moving about outside, but they didn’t care. They just tried to be quieter, giggling quietly like little school girls with a secret. They soon forgot about everything else, and everybody else, getting caught up in their own little bubble. It was around 4.30 am before Aaron sneaked back into his own bed. Finn and Adam was sound asleep. 

At eight he woke up, as Adam shook him. He went into the shower, and followed the boys and Vic down to the kitchen where they met Robert and Chrissie for breakfast before they started their drive home. Aaron had the full English breakfast. He had some difficulties enjoying it though. Adam was quiet and still stealing glances at him, when he didn’t catch him right out staring.

Adam knew. But what did he know? How? Had they done anything to give it away? Did the others know too? He started fidgeting as he got into the car. He decided to sit in the back, and let Vic stay up in front with Adam who was driving. He sat beside what seemed to be an oblivious Finn. Trying to figure out if he should ask Adam straight out what was wrong. Did he want to know the answer? By the time they got home, even Finn had started to notice Aarons fidgeting. As they unpacked the car, Aaron lingered behind with Adam, and decided to bite the bullet. 

“So, why the looks, and stares?” he asked Adam. Adam turned to him, looked him over and took a deep breath. “So, what’s up with you and Robert? How long have you slept together?” his friend almost blurted out. Aaron avoided his eyes, and just blushed. Blunt. It would feel kind of good to be able to speak to someone about it. He inhaled and gathered his thoughts before he opened his mouth to deny everything.

“How long have you known? Don’t tell anybody” he heard himself say instead. “Of course, not” Adam answered his second question first. “I won’t tell anybody”. Aaron let go of a breath he didn’t know he had held. “Could we just go for a beer?” he asked Adam who nodded. They left all their stuff in the car. Adam sent Vic a text, telling her that they’d gone to the pub instead.   
 


	6. Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was bored. I wrote.

They went to a quiet pub they knew. Ordered a pint each and sat in a corner, looking around in the almost empty pub. It was Sunday, early afternoon. It was almost empty in there. Aaron inhaled, and looked at Adam. “Since that first night they came back, when we were drinking and don’t remember a thing. I don’t remember either, but in the drunk haze, we must have found each other”. 

Adam looked at him “I didn’t even know he was gay, or bi? How did you?” Aaron just shook his head and shrugged. He had no clue how they’d hooked up. He hadn’t asked. Forgot every time he got Robert alone in a room. Everything but that mouth, those hands and, he drifted of. It took a slap on the shoulder from Adam to get him back in the mortal world. He shook his head again to clear it from images he didn’t want to explore or share with present company.

“So, you’re his bit on the side?” he concluded. Aaron shrugged. He supposed he was. He was the dirty little secret that Robert didn’t want the world to know about. He wondered if he should tell Robert about Adam knowing, but decided against it. “You won’t tell anyone” he asked Adam again. 

Adam shrugged, “I won’t lie, but if you’re discreet, and no one straight out asks me, I’ll keep your secret” he answered. And that was more than Aaron could ask for. And enough. He nodded at Adam, and then curiosity took the better of him. “How did you know?” he asked Adam.

Adam started to explain how he’d been suspicious from the start, he’d noticed Robert playing footsie, and sitting way too close after that first night. And then there were all these small things. But the main give away had been how Robert was checking him out the night before. “He looked like he was watching something very precious walking in, when you did, and then I saw him check your ass in those jeans” Adams boisterous laugh sounded throughout the bar. “So, I decided to watch the two of yous. You left, and I followed, found you in the hallway, sneaked of, and went back so you heard me, and when I heard the knock and you took of in the night, I followed” He shrugged. 

Aaron blushed. They sat in silence, until Adam had to be the responsible one and say out loud what they both knew, and thought. “You know this wont go anywhere, it won’t be anything? He’ll stay with her. Vic told me, her father has offered him a top job, as her boyfriend, or fiancée. He won’t give that up for you” Aaron squirmed a little and nodded, he sighed. “I know”

They looked down in their pints, half empty now. Gloom settled. “You’re worth so much more” Adam said. Aaron leant back on the chair, looked at Adam and shrugged. “I know” he said looked back into his pint. “Right now, I can’t think of anyone else, I just want him” he confessed. Adam huffed.

When they’d finished of their pints, they went back home. Unpacked the car and went in. Vic had made dinner, they sat down and talked about the weekends events. Both Aaron and Adam stayed clear of talking about Robert. Vic told them he would be back before next weekend, they – Chrissie and Robert – would stay for a while discussing Robert’s future in the company. 

Aaron woke up in the middle of the night. He didn’t know what had woken him. It had taken ages to fall asleep. He cuddled into the body behind him, enjoying the arms around his abdomen, and went back to sleep. Just as he dozed of he realised that he wasn’t alone in bed, and that Robert wasn’t supposed to be home. He woke up with a startled jerk. He turned around to look at the body. Who slept in his bed every night. Maybe it hadn’t been Robert at all. He let out a relieved sigh as he recognized Roberts features beside him. 

Robert grunted and tried to find a comfortable position again, reaching out for Aaron. “What are you doing here?” Aaron blurted out, more surprised than anything. “sleeping” came the muffled answer. Aaron realised he wouldn’t get much more of an answer, and to be honest, he was too tired to try. He leant back into Robert’s embrace and went back to sleep. 

When he woke up in the morning, it was still early, and Robert was still there. He stayed where he was, enjoying the moment. He knew they wouldn’t be many more of them. He knew their days were numbered, and pretty soon, this would only be a memory. He sighed. It seemed to wake Robert up. The embrace tightened. A hand moved out from under the duvet, and reached for a cell phone on the night stand. He felt, rather than saw Robert checking the time and putting the phone back.

“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else” Aaron asked Robert. In answer the man just smiled at him, and his hands started roaming down on Aarons body, who squirmed a little and turned around to meet Robert’s lips. Soon his worries about time left together and being kept a secret, had gone.

He woke up again a couple of hours later. His body felt good, and he stretched out in bed. Sure, that he’d be alone, since he didn’t feel the warmth against his back. Startled, he heard a muffled sound. He looked around, finding Robert sitting on the bedside. “So, why are you here?” he asked for a second time this morning. Robert looked at him, as if he was surprised by the question. Aaron kept looking, as Robert looked like he was trying to form an answer in his head.

“I missed you” he said. “I couldn’t sleep without you” he continued. Aaron looked at him and didn’t really know what to think about that confession. He knew he felt the same, but then, he wasn’t in a relationship with a beautiful and rich woman. And well, him. They had a relationship, however secret, however short it would be. Aaron wanted to enjoy every minute, but still. Robert wasn’t his. He belonged with somebody else, how ever stuck up she was. 

Aaron didn’t have any classes until that afternoon, and Robert seemed to want to stay put, so he went out to the flat to check if there were anyone at home. Finn and Vic had left, so he called out for Robert to come, and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. He started on coffee, eggs and bacon, as Robert joined him. He heard Adam make noises in his room, and prepared for brekkie for him to. 

As Adam came out of his room, and went straight for the bathroom and a shower. Aaron could see Robert stiffen. Their eyes met, and Aaron shrugged. “He knows” he said. “Walked in on us in the hallway at the mansion, he’s not going to tell anyone” he continued. Robert looked sceptical. “Do you trust him?” he asked Aaron who nodded. “With my life” Aaron said, and Robert seemed to relax. 

Adam joined them for breakfast after his shower. “So, you two” he said, and then he started to talk about classes with Aaron, totally ignoring the way Robert had cringed, and Aaron’s had frowned. In a couple of minutes, he had the two other men relaxed into a comfortable conversation about teachers and exams. Adam was an expert in defusing uncomfortable discussions, and situations. 

When breakfast was over and done with, Aaron cleared the table, and Adam left for the library. Robert went into his room. When Aaron had done the dishes, he heard Robert move around in the hallway. He went towards his room to put some clothes on, and met Robert, who beckoned him towards the bathroom. In there, he started the shower and motioned for Aaron to undress. They went in under the spray together. 

After the round in the shower they went back to Aarons room, and as they lay silently on the bed, Aaron could almost hear Robert thinking. He didn’t say anything for a while, but he felt he had to. “Out with it” he told Robert.

“So, Adam knows” Robert’s words seemed carefully chosen, as well as his tone and relaxed position behind Aaron, who shrugged as an answer. “Well he suspected from the start, even if he doesn’t remember anything either, you acted weird that next morning according to him” he then said. “I did, didn’t I” Robert said in a quiet voice. “I didn’t get that you didn’t remember, I thought you were just trying to pretend it didn’t happen, and I wanted it so much, ever since I saw you the first time” Aaron squirmed as Robert’s breath while speaking touched the nape of his neck. 

Aaron laughed a little “did you get me drunk on purpose?” he asked. Robert blushed, but shook his head. “No” he answered, “the alcohol was liquid courage for me, I was really happy when you grabbed me, and pulled me into your room” he smirked at Aaron. Aaron shrugged “I would never…” he said. Robert laughed “I admit, I kissed you in the hall, and then pushed you into your room, where you ravaged me” he said. 

They kept talking about everything and nothing, until suddenly they heard a door slam, and Chrissie’s voice ringing through the apartment, calling out for Robert.


	7. Trying

Chrissies shrill voice rang through the apartment calling out for Robert. Both men froze in the bed. All comfort they had experienced during the day, was suddenly gone. Aaron flew out of bed and put a pair of joggers on. He hurried out of his room and met Chrissie inside the door, where she stood with her suitcase on the floor beside her. 

He looked at her, “what’s with the noise?” he asked her. She looked at him and pulled a hand through her hair. “Is Robert here?” she asked him, and he could see she really tried to be polite about it. He shrugged “how should I know” he answered, and went back into his now empty room. He started to get properly dressed, pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, before he left the apartment. Chrissie seemed to have found Robert, if the raised voices were anything to go by.

He went to the library to find Adam, and they prepared for class before they went on a lunchbreak. After they ate, Aaron told Adam about Chrissie showing up. Adam looked at him with something resembling pity. He cringed. He didn’t want pity, and he knew what he done, and gotten himself into. He had known from the beginning. He didn’t want pity. Adams expression changed, as if he knew what Aaron was thinking. “I think you know what I think” Adam offered and sat back in his chair.

They spent the afternoon together in the library and in class. When they came home, they were met by the sight of Vic and Finn studying in the living room. Adam perked up when he saw them. He sat down on the floor beside Vic and left Aaron to go to his room. 

He lay down on the bed. Head full of thoughts again. He was suddenly awoken by Adam who jumped up on the bed and startled him. He woke confused. He felt a little lost. Adam took his time, and didn’t talk about anything serious until he knew Aaron was wide awake. Then he suggested they’d go out to the gay bar they used to go to. Aaron hesitated but Adam was determined. His main argument was that Aaron had to get out of the flat, away from Robert and realise he deserved better than being a secret. Someone’s bit on the side. Aaron knew he was right. 

They got ready, had a can in the sofa before they left. As they went through the door, Aaron could feel Robert’s eyes on his back. He was determined not to feel bad about it, his conscience was clear. What they had was not monogamous or even a real relationship. He should not feel like he was being disappointing or unfaithful. There were nothing to be faithful to. Robert had Chrissie. He deserved better. He did. Well he tried to convince himself anyway.

In the bar they ordered a pint each and found a table close to the pool table. Adam flirted with a couple of guys who he invited to sit in the empty chairs in their corner. They seemed nice. One of them defiantly more interested in Aaron than he was in Adam. They knew the guys from campus, and Aaron had a hunch that Adam knew they were going to be there tonight, and that this was part of a plan. Or he would have thought if he didn’t know Adam better. 

As the night progressed, under Adams firm eyes, he agreed to go on a date with the guy. One date, he thought to himself. One date, just to please Adam. And the guy, called John, was nice and Aaron felt no pressure of any kind. They decided on a bar with food on Friday night. Before Aaron and Adam left the bar they exchanged numbers. 

When he came home, he could see Robert in the living room. It looked like he was waiting up for them. Maybe checking if Aaron brought someone else home. Aaron slipped into the bathroom, and took a shower. Before he went into his room he checked out the sofa and saw Robert had left. He went into his own dark room, didn’t bother to turn on the light, and sat down on the edge of his bed. He put his hands over his face and fell backwards, right into Robert's lap. 

Startled he tried to sit up again. “Sorry, I didn’t see you” he said to a quiet Robert. He felt awkward since he knew that Robert must know where he’d been tonight. And that he booked a date, with someone else. Robert didn’t say anything. He was just looking. Until he started touching. And kissing. With a frenzy that Aaron just laid back and enjoyed. Robert seemed to worship him with his hands and mouth. He could feel sucking kisses to his throat and neck, and he moaned while Robert marked him. Because somehow, he understood that that was what the other man was doing. Marking him as his. 

When he woke up in the dark of the night he felt Robert still beside him. He went out to the bathroom and when he saw himself in the mirror he squirmed, and realised that there was no way he could hide the markings on his neck and shoulders. As he went back he could hear Chrissies voice softly call for Robert. Aaron cringed and walked into his room where Robert was still sleeping in his bed. He sat down on the side of the bed and looked at the man.

After a while he could see Robert becoming conscious again. His eyes were fluttering, and his hands started to roam around in the bed as if they were looking for something. When he reached Aarons thigh the hand stopped, and he seemed relax and to go back to sleep. Aaron shook him.

“Chrissie is looking for you” he whispered. Robert shook his head and moaned. Aaron touched him again “Robert” he whispered again. He seemed to try really hard to look up at me, and then his eyes closed again. “’s OK” he could hear Robert mumble into the pillow. 

“No” Aaron was getting uneasy. “It’s not OK you don’t want her to come looking” He tried to speak without making a sound, since he could hear Chrissie moving about in the apartment. “If she finds you in here, she’ll go crazy, and if you don’t “come home” soon, she’ll go even more crazy” he whispered as quiet as he could. Robert shifted in bed. They could hear Chrissie moving around outside the door. 

Robert pulled his arm, and pulled him closer for a kiss. Aaron leant into it enjoying the feeling. Before long they were at it again. Both trying to be as quiet as they could. It didn’t take long before they basked in the afterglow. But too soon Robert got up, and sneaked out. Aaron heard him pretending to sneak into the apartment before he fell asleep. It had been a long intense day.

In the morning he slept in. Adam came knocking, before his friend entered the room, he remembered the markings on his neck, that wasn’t there yesterday when they had parted in the hallway. He pulled the duvet up and Adam sat down on it beside him. Adam wanted to talk about the night before, and Fridays date. Aaron flinched he had almost forgot about that. 

He was considering cancelling. But he still didn’t like being a secret. John had seemed a nice bloke. He could do with some open attention in public. It was exciting and exhilarating being with Robert, at the same time as it felt wrong and he felt like a secret and not really good enough. From what had happened when he got home and the way his body looked today, thankfully covered by the duvet, he knew Robert wasn’t best pleased. But then again. He wasn’t the one in a relationship with someone else, Robert was. 

Why should he put his life on hold for someone that clearly didn’t give him the time of day. He decided to go on the date.

He fretted all week. Met with Robert in the library, and they slept in his bed, together every night. The difference being Robert waking him up as he came in. Being so very tender and Aaron didn’t know if it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but Robert seemed so loving. Aaron felt cared for and loved. 

It made it really awkward Friday, when Aaron was dressing up for the date. Robert was sitting in the next room. He sat in the sofa with Adam, Vic and a beer as Aaron left. Robert was looking at him with a sad expression on his face.

Aaron was determined to have a good time anyway. And he did. John was fun to be around and seemed interested in Aaron, who enjoyed the evening out immensely. When he snuck home in the early hours he half expected Robert to be in his room. The room was empty. Aaron had difficulties sleeping, and when he came up in the morning he was met with the news that Robert and Chrissie had gone back to Chrissies dad to arrange for Roberts work, and the move they needed to make, for him to be able to undergo the introduction and then work in the branch he wanted to work in. Aaron almost felt how an ache started to build up in his heart.

He had screwed up.


	8. Pining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, bored, wrote some more.

Aaron felt like he was going to fall asleep standing up. He hadn’t slept properly for a week. As soon as he lay down in bed, he was wide awake, and could hardly even close his eyes. They were somehow glued to his door. A door that didn’t open. Even if he tried to will it to. He knew it wouldn’t since neither Robert or Chrissie were in the apartment. They were still at Chrissies, and with no plans to go back, as Aaron, or Vic, knew of. 

And Aaron couldn’t sleep without him.

He couldn’t study either, because as soon as he got in to the library he lost all will to. All he wanted was to see Robert and beg him to come back. He knew he wouldn’t. He had his pride. 

When he came home it was worse, all he wanted to do was to cuddle up to the man. And all he could do was blame himself. Blame himself for scaring Robert away. For making him think that Aaron wasn’t interested. For going on a date with John, who had tried to continue dating, inviting him for movies, bars and coffees. Aaron had turned him down. However nice the man was, Aaron couldn’t look at him without comparing him to Robert and what he felt when Robert was close. And didn’t feel when John was.

Adam kept pestering him about John, dating and getting out there. He was happy that Robert was out of Aarons life. He didn’t comprehend the darkness Aaron felt without Robert. He couldn’t help Aaron sleep or study. 

So far Aaron had managed to hang on to his studies and not fail any classes, but it was close. From being a top student, he was suddenly struggling. His teachers asked him about it, and he just shrugged. He couldn’t tell them. Nobody could know. He couldn’t speak with anyone. He wished he could speak with Robert. They had talked a lot. Gotten close. It wasn’t just his body in bed, or the sex he missed. He missed the bantering the talking and sharing thoughts.

Mostly he missed the closeness.

One week became two. In the middle of the second week he fell asleep on the couch in the living room and slept for 18 hours uninterrupted, since Vic, Adam and Finn let him sleep and kept out of the room. He woke up a bit less tired and very hungry.  
By the end of the second week he had realised that as long as he slept on the couch he could get some hours of sleep every night. It wasn’t that comfortable, but it was sleep. Adam had stopped going on about John, and about almost anything since Aaron wasn’t talkative at all. As soon as Adam started talking he zoned out, or just left.

By the beginning of the third week Aaron had given up. He had known from when he left that the man wouldn’t come back. He knew he couldn’t ask him to. He didn’t even know how to reach him. Vic had told him that Robert had lost his phone. Aaron knew where it was. It was the only thing Aaron had of Roberts, and he wasn’t going to give it back. It was tucked away in a drawer. He didn’t even look at it. It was enough that it was there. Robert may have the same number, but Aaron didn’t know what to say if he was to call or text him.

Two days later, in the middle of the night. From his own room. He sent Robert a text. It was short. He had written, and rewritten it about ten times, before he just pressed send. It just said “can’t sleep” He didn’t expect an answer. He put the phone down, lay down on his back and looked up at the now very familiar ceiling. His phone buzzed. Robert had answered. He looked at the light in the ceiling until it went dark again. He turned to his side and picked up the phone. The message was short and almost made Aaron smile, “Miss me?”. 

Aaron thought for a moment and wrote “You’re awake 2”. The answer came before he put the phone down “Miss U”. For the first time in weeks Aaron could feel a real smile forming on his lips. Robert missed him. The phone buzzed again. Aaron picked it up. It was a picture of feet in a couch. Aarons smile stayed on. He sent a picture back. They sent a few short messages before Aaron dosed off to sleep. A comfortable sleep he woke up smiling from.

If anyone noticed any difference in Aaron the next day, no one dared to mention it. Aaron’s smile was genuine. He did good in class and had a really good study session in the library. He only woke up from a nice day dream about Robert once. And it didn’t make him cringe like it had done the last couple of weeks. It had him in a good mood.

When he came home he went into the shower and went into the kitchen to make some food. He met up with the others, and they decided to order pizza and have a night in together. They had got the food and were sitting in front of a film on the telly when Aarons phone buzzed. He looked at it and saw a message from Robert. He rose and went into his room to read and answer it. He sent a short reply, and started to leave the room to go back to the others, when the phone rang. He looked at the display and recognised Roberts number. 

He contemplated if he should answer or not, but found himself asking a shaky “hello” before he had decided. Robert sounded as sure of himself as ever, which made Aaron feel more confident. He spoke in a hushed tone, since he didn’t want anyone to hear him talk, and ask him about it. He could hear Robert do the same. Robert came to the point of the call after a couple of short questions about Aarons day. He was going on a business trip to a town close by, on Friday, staying in a hotel for two nights. He wanted Aarons company.

Aaron didn’t hesitate a moment before answering “yes”. He could almost hear Robert smiling through the phone. He smirked as he asked about where and when to meet up. As they made their plans Aaron picked up a bag and threw some stuff in it, just anticipating the packing. When the phone call was over, Aaron sneaked out of his room and snuck into the bathroom, flushing the toilet, pretending that’s where he’d been. He went back to the movie but found it hard to concentrate. He kept flipping through his phone, reading and rereading Roberts short messages. Wishing he had pictures of the man.

He was thinking about the weekend ahead. Wondering what Robert would expect of him. What Robert was supposed to do. He had forgot to ask. Business. Could be anything. Chrissie could be there, but no, he didn’t think so. Robert wouldn’t risk that.   
“Met someone?” Adams voice asked him as it penetrated his thoughts. Aaron didn’t know what to answer. He shrugged. Finn looked at him. He looked jealous. If he only knew. Adam looked at him, like he wanted to make sure it was someone there for Aaron. 

Someone that wasn’t Robert. Aaron knew that Adam never would think Robert was good enough for him. That Aaron deserved better. But these last weeks had shown Aaron that even if he agreed, he deserved better than to be a secret, someone’s bit on the side. His heart and body didn’t agree with that.

He went to bed early, feigning tiredness. And as he lay down he realised that he was tired. He fell asleep and slept through the night again. Feeling calm and looking forward to the evening when he was going to meet up with Robert again.   
Time slowed down, an hour felt like four to Aaron. When lunch came around he felt like it stood still. He met up with Adam and had a meal in a campus cafeteria. He mentioned in passing leaving campus, and not coming home for two nights, but not where he was going with whom. Adam didn’t ask or put any pressure on him that’s why he’d brought it up with him, not Vic or Finn. He told Adam he’d take the car.

The clock seemed to go even slower during the afternoon. Aaron checked it every other minute. Slowly time to leave came closer. Aaron went home to the flat and packed the rest of the stuff he needed. He went out to the car, put his stuff in it, started it. Took a deep breath and took of towards Robert.


	9. Meeting up

The drive was agonising. The first half he just wanted to get there. Then he was in two minds about it. He didn’t really know what he wanted. Had he been to forward or seemed desperate when he texted Robert. The last part of the drive he was just plain anxious. The voice from sat nav was surprisingly calming. He concentrated on the thing giving him directions to the hotel. 

When he arrived, and had parked the car at the hotel parking lot he took his bag and walked towards the entrance. He had already recognised Robert’s car. He walked in the doors, and saw the other man immediately. He felt a thug in his stomach. The blonde man looked to good. Aaron took some time to really appreciate the way Robert looked when he moved towards him. It had been too long though. Robert shook his hand when he came up to him. Smiling and winking to him, as he asked Aaron to follow him. As soon as the doors in the elevator started to close, Robert was on him. Lips locked and hands roaming. 

They missed getting out of the elevator and it wasn’t until the doors opened in the lobby, and an older couple walked in, they realised. Their lips parted with difficulty and they stood close. Robert pressed the button to their floor again. They could feel the older couple watching them. Aaron blushed. He wasn’t much for PDA but it would be even worse if he turned out of Robert’s embrace right now. He could feel Robert having the same “problem” pressing against his thigh. As the elevator stopped on their floor he took his bag and held it in front of him, and also Robert as they exited the elevator. 

When the doors closed behind them they both let out a huff of laughter. Robert showed Aaron to the room. It was a small suite. A bedroom and a room with a couch, tele and a minibar. The bedroom held a king size bed, and a large ensuite with a shower and a large bath. Aaron looked at the bath before he looked back at Robert who smirked. “I have to work some but we will have time for a long bath” he said. A wide smile spread in Aarons face.

Before he could react. Robert took the bag from him and started to rip his clothes off. It only took a few moments for Aaron to catch on, and start helping with the undressing. Ripping each other’s clothes of. Robert’s buttons proved a difficult task, in the end Aaron just pulled the shirt over his head. The seams in Aarons black tee were complaining but not ripping as Robert pulled it over his head. In seconds all clothes were thrown at the floor. Or wherever they landed. They didn’t make it to the bed, even if it was just a few feet away. The floor had to do. It had been too long and they were in too much of a hurry to even think of moving.

The sex was even better than he remembered. As they lay panting on the floor he tried to find the strength to move to the bed, or the bathroom, or anywhere. He couldn’t muster the energy. Aaron laughed a little to himself. He could hear Robert chuckle beside him. His hands reaching for Aaron and stroking what he could reach. Aaron groaned and turned towards him. Their lips met. 

It took them a couple of minutes to get up on the bed. And it was difficult with lips locked. They could hardly get enough of each other. Laying on the bed. Still panting a little, Robert’s alarm went off on the phone. He groaned and sat up. Aaron watched him as he started to get dressed and then he went in to the bathroom. Aaron laid back and decided to go for the big bath as soon as Robert had left. 

It didn’t take long before he was soaked down in a hot bath. All alone in the room he felt relaxed. He closed his eyes and almost fell asleep. He decided to take a nap after his bath. He could do something after a nap. He knew he hadn’t slept well recently.   
He woke up from a noise in the room. There was somebody there. Where was he? He remembered, and he guessed that it would be Robert. He reached for his phone to check the time. There were a couple of text messages and he realised he slept through the afternoon, into the early night. The time was around when Robert told him he would be back. He stretched out his limbs and tried to wake up.

Robert entered the room. Aaron looked at him under heavy eyelids. Robert looked gorgeous. As he entered the room he turned the light on and their eyes met. Aaron lifted the covers and invited Robert to come join him. His stomach growled. He smirked. “Maybe not” he said, “Maybe food” he continued. Robert sat down on the bed and reached for the hotel phone. He ordered them a cheeseburger each from room service. He bent down and kissed Aaron.

The two nights passed to fast for Aarons liking. Suddenly he was on his way home. They had spent the time enjoying each other, watching telly and talking about unimportant things. Not touching any subject that could be sensitive to any of them.   
As he drove home he felt kind of sore. His body aching in a good way. He was feeling good, but exhausted, there had been little or no sleep since those hours he had the first afternoon. 

When he arrived home he met Adam, who was leaving, in the hallway. He looked at his friend, who asked him how his weekend been. Aaron shrugged, and Adam didn’t press the subject as he left. Aaron went into his room and unpacked. He decided to do his laundry. He picked it up and went into the kitchen to fill the machine. He went through the refrigerator and found some leftovers and a can of beer. He sat down at the kitchen table when he heard someone in the hallway. Maybe Adam had come back? 

He looked up and saw a familiar frame out there. Was Robert here? He called out a “hello?”. He heard Robert answer. Aaron went out in the hallway to greet him. “What are you doing here?” he asked. Robert gave him a smile “I live here” he answered. Aaron scoffed at him. “Lawrence decided to give me a position here, in this town. Chrissie got mad and ordered me to tell him that it wasn’t the best place to start, she wanted me close to home, and when I refused, she threw me out. Again. So, I left. Start my job on Monday.” Robert explained.

Aaron looked at him, with a hundred questions running through his head. Instead of giving them voice and asking the man, he went back to the kitchen table, he heard Robert take his bags and move in to the flat, open a door and leave them there before he came into the kitchen to make Aaron company. He shared the leftovers and Robert got himself a can.

They sat at the table until dusk, both of them tired. Aaron left for the bathroom and then he went to his room. He almost fell over when he went in, stumbling on Roberts bags. He looked up curiously and realised that Robert stood looking at him through the doors. Aaron raised an eyebrow, and Robert shrugged. “Moving in?” Aaron asked. Robert smirked, and moved forward. “OK?” he asked, and Aaron nodded. 

When the others arrived home, they were both fast asleep in each other’s arms. When the morning came, they went out to the kitchen together and had breakfast before Robert went to work. Vic came out to join them and asked Robert about being back. He told her about Lawrence offering him this position and him coming back. Vic just smiled and nodded. As Robert was leaving Finn and Adam approached from their rooms. He nodded to them and left. Vic explained what he had told her about working here. Adam met Aaron’s eyes with a frown. Aaron shrugged. He didn’t know what this was, if this was or how it was going to work.


	10. Going back

It took a couple of days. No one said anything about Aaron and Robert’s living arrangement. In the beginning they didn’t seem to notice. Two days after Robert moved in to his room, he went in to get his charger, and met Vic on the way out. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem to make any kind of observation or connection.

They were open and relaxed with their relationship. It seemed like the urgency of it had gone. There were no PDA but they were still touching when they got a chance, still they didn’t have to touch all the time. They were found out and brought in front of their friends when the weekend arrived and Adam busted in to Aaron’s, now shared, bedroom and jumped on the bed. And landed right on Robert. Who screamed out in pain. A scream mixed with Adam’s startled one.

Aaron groaned, woke up by the noise. Peered over the covers and seeing Adam and Robert staring each other down, hid under them. Praying this was a dream. Well nightmare to be more precise. At the screams the other residents of the house came running. Aaron groaned again, seeing Vic and Finn showing up in the door. Both of them looking at the bed. At Adam who was on the covers, and Robert, who was obviously undressed, and under the covers. Under Aaron’s covers.

Vic ordered them to get up and go out to the living room. As Robert sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, it became obvious that he was naked, and Vic left mumbling about fixing coffee. Finn stared at him with big eyes. Adam pulled out of the bed, went towards the door, looking at Aaron over his shoulder. He pulled Finn with him as he left.

Robert sighed, “come on Aaron, lets face this now, nothing good will come out of delaying or postponing it” he said. Aaron groaned in answer. He was tired. He hadn’t slept much that night, knowing he wouldn’t need to get up early. Now he had to. He got out of bed an put a couple of sweatpants and a tee on.

They braced themselves Robert took Aarons hand in a tight grip, and squeezed it before he let go, and they went into the living room. Aaron looked at Vic, and he knew an interrogation worse than the inquisition was on the way. Vic was not good with not knowing, and here there was a lot of things she didn’t know.

“Since when are you gay?” Vic’s first question seemed to annoy Robert. “I’m not gay” he answered. They all looked at him with disbelief. Aaron smirked. “I’m bi” Robert continued, “but I don’t want to be labelled”. Vic threw her arms up. She sighed and went into the kitchen and got them all a mug with steaming coffee. As she handed them out. She winked at Aaron and smiled at her brother

“How long?” Adam blurted out like he couldn’t hold the question any longer. Aaron looked at Robert, their eyes met. “Since that night” he answered his friend. The interrogation continued, and Aaron and Robert answered as honestly as they could, without giving too much away. Robert came out not looking lily white, he had cheated on Chrissie. But Aaron had known about her and still he had continued with the affair. When the mugs were empty and most of the questions had been asked.

Aaron moved towards the bathroom, he needed a hot shower before breakfast. He heard Robert saying something to Vic, and was surprised when he tried to close the bathroom door, and he was there. Right behind him. With a smile he looked the door behind them and turned into Roberts arms and embrace.

Adam did not approve. It was obvious to them all. He huffed and he frowned. He didn’t talk to or with Robert at all. He sent him disapproving looks. When he spoke to Aaron it was about uni and nothing else. Aaron left him alone, he hoped he’d come around when he’d wrapped his head around the idea of Robert and him being together.

Aaron himself was more involved with another question. Yes, they had a relationship, yes they were together. But, were they a couple? He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to ask. They slept together, spent most of their waken time together, and made time for each other. Robert cooked him food, and he brought Robert to the campus pub. They were seen in each other’s company which felt good after hiding for so long. Tonight Robert had taken him to the movies. They’d soon discovered that they didn’t share taste in such things. Where Aaron were more of a Die Hard fan, Robert seemed to enjoy superhero movies. They had bantered about it all the way to the flat.

Aarons good mood was gone as soon as he entered the flat, and heard Chrissies shrill voice. She was talking with Vic and Finn. He could feel Robert’s posture stiffen beside him. He knew then that Robert had had no clue that she was coming here. Aaron hoped that it was only to collect her things in the now unused room she and Robert had shared. Aaron had never been in it.

When Vic heard the door, she called out for Robert. He went in to the living room area and looked at the people there. Aaron followed him in and his eyes was drawn to a sitting Chrissie. She didn’t look like she was leaving soon. Something in her stance told him, she was here to stay. He felt a shiver down his spine. He didn’t want to compete for Robert’s attention. And he didn’t want to go back to hiding, or nothing at all. Worse would be nothing at all.

He looked at the others, excused himself and went into his room. Their room. He looked around. He didn’t really know what to expect now. He felt heavy and suddenly very tired. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. He put his hands on his face and rubbed it slightly. It wasn’t that late. He decided to go for a walk. He stood up, sneaked out of the room and left the apartment in silence. He didn’t think anyone noticed that he’d gone.

He walked to the library, where he stayed and sat down on a park bench across the street. He sat there for a while with an empty head. Not in a very good place, and not forming any coherent thoughts. After a while he left the bench and started walking again. He had been walking for about an hour when he finally felt like he could think properly again. Only then he realised that he didn’t bring his phone with him. He didn’t miss it. He found himself walking back towards the flat, and stopped to sit on another bench.

This time the thoughts couldn’t stay away. He couldn’t keep the questions away and he didn’t want to think about the answers. What if Chrissie wanted him back? What if he wanted Chrissie back? What if Adam was right? The ‘what ifs’ overwhelmed him. The answers unsure and negative. He didn’t deserve happiness did he? In the end it was the cold of the night that made him go home.

It was dark in the flat. Everybody seemed to have gone off to sleep. He considered the options. He didn’t like his odds. Aaron sat down on the couch for a couple of minutes before he stood up again. He didn’t check his room before he went to the bathroom to splash water across his face. He felt cold and decided to take a hot shower.

When he came out of the bathroom he almost knocked someone over. He caught the person just before they lost balance completely and fell. He realised it was Chrissie. She looked at him weirdly and mumbled something that could have been a thank you, as well as it could have been anything else. She slipped beside him and closed the door to the bathroom behind him. He sighed and started walking towards his room with slow steps. He didn’t want to open the door, and not find Robert in there. But he didn’t want to hope that he was in there, it felt like to much to ask for. He held the door handle but hesitated to push it.


	11. Epilogue

It had been three weeks since Chrissie had left the flat. She had stayed for a week to try to get Robert to take her back. Robert had stayed in Aarons room, and With Aaron the whole time. Never leaving his side. Introducing him as his boyfriend to Lawrence when he came to pick Chrissie up, finally. Lawrence had never liked Robert, and he had been present when Chrissie threw him out, so he didn’t take back the job offer, or fire Robert.

Adam had calmed down when he realised that Robert was being sincere with his friend. His anger had dissolved during the weeks passing and Aaron had his friend back. He still didn’t approve, but he didn’t disapprove openly. Aaron noticed that Adam tried to be friendlier with Robert. He didn’t know if it was because of Aaron or because of how well things seemed to be going with Vic.

Aaron sighed and leant back on the chair in the library. That was the only thing he truly missed. The stolen moments they’d shared in the library bathrooms. He smiled inwards and continued the text he was writing. As he looked at his notes from the lecture he’d attended earlier he could hear the girl sitting at the table beside him gasp. His smile spread, he hoped he was right. As he looked up, he saw Robert going through the corridor. He left his stuff and walked towards the public restrooms.

In the restroom he met Robert who smirked at him. Missed this he said as he pushed Aaron into a cubicle. Their lips met before he looked the door. His hands were inside Aaron’s pants before his own hands reached Roberts chest. Before they could go any further the door to the restroom opened. They heard two familiar voices. Both of them froze. If it had been anybody else, they had continued like nothing had happened, but they both heard Finn and Adam’s distinct voices.

“I thought I saw Aaron going in here” Finn said. Aaron immediately snuck up to stand on the toilet so his feet wouldn’t be visible. Robert unlocked the door and left the cubicle, to go wash his hands. Aaron stood as quietly as he could on the lid. Suddenly he heard footsteps walking towards the cubicle. His breath caught, and he prayed it was Robert. With no such luck he found himself standing on a toilet lid, in a public restroom, with Adam standing in the doorway with a knowing smirk. It didn’t take many minutes before there were more steps, and Finn, Adam and Robert all three were standing there looking up at a blushing Aaron. 

Aaron jumped down from the toilet lid and tried to ignore the knowing look Adam gave him. He tried to not be to obvious as he buttoned up the fly of his jeans. “We saw you go in here” Adam said. “We didn’t see Robert, if you would have been the one leaving the cubicle, none of us would have been any wiser. You filthy animals.” he continued now laughing. Aaron’s blush turned a deeper shade of red. Robert huffed behind Adam. Finn saved him. 

“We were looking for you because we wanted to go out. It’s been a while since we all went for a pint” Finn said, with Adam nodding beside him. Aaron looked at Robert who nodded to. He thought for a while after which he shrugged and told them that he would just pack his stuff. 

He got his bag and things together and they left for the pub. It was quite busy but they found a table and Aaron made sure to sit beside Robert. He wanted to be close so he put his hand on Roberts thigh and pressed his own thigh against it too. He could feel Robert press back. As Adam left to get pints for everyone, Aaron left for the bathroom. As he entered the cubicle, Robert caught up with him. He pushed him in, and locked the door behind them. Before their lips locked, Robert whispered something in his ear. It made Aarons heart stop, but he didn’t have time to think about it before their lips locked and they were all over each other again. 

When they were sated and giggling like two school girls, correcting their clothes but still kissing and touching Aaron remembered. “You love me?” he asked. Robert smirked, and nodded. “Of cause, did you not know?” he asked. When Aaron shook his head Robert looked at him with curious eyes. “Did you think I left my steady girlfriend, a rich steady girlfriend for a shag?” he asked in surprise. Aaron shrugged “I’m a good shag” he said. At that Robert kissed him. They returned to the table and joined Finn and Adam again. Adam looked at them and with a hint of complaint in his voice he said “you filthy animals” again, and winked at Aaron, who again blushed. 

“Is this how it’s going to be?” Adam asked Aaron. “The two of you snogging in the kitchen, ruining my breakfast, dinner and tea, or sneaking away to shag whenever?” Adam continued. Robert smirked and looked expectantly at Aaron who was blushing worse than ever. “Well is it?” he asked. Aaron looked helpless at Robert first, and then at Adam. He shrugged. Again Finn came to his rescue. “Don’t bother with Adam, he’s just jealous” he said, and punched Adam’s arm. “Leave them be, you’re being pathetic” he smirked.

They left the subject and went on to talk about other things, having a good time. Until Aaron suddenly saw Robert stiffen beside him. With a solid stare towards the bar. Aaron followed his glance and saw John standing there. He nudged Robert. “I’m not with you only for a shag either” he whispered in his boyfriends ear. And followed the whisper with his tongue. He could feel Robert shiver and then turn towards him to meet his gaze, and their eyes looked. Somewhere in the background he could hear Adam groan. He didn’t care as he leant in and kissed Robert on the mouth, in a pub full of people, in front of his friends. He didn’t care. Robert loved him. That was enough for him.


End file.
